Leaving on a Jet Plane
by CallMeMadamSecretary
Summary: Elizabeth and Henry are newlyweds, enjoying their new lives together. What will happen when Henry is suddenly deployed?
1. Merry Christmas

_Leaving on a Jet Plane_

" _So kiss me and smile for me. Tell me that you'll wait for me. Hold me like you'll never let me go."_

 _ **December 25, 1990**_

Henry McCord rolled over and looked at his sleeping wife. She was so beautiful and he wasn't sure how she fell for someone like him. When he first met her she was a sophomore, political science student who had plans to change the world. He was a grad student in the marines, focusing on religion and ethics. They were just married in November and he was already about to leave her for 6 months. He had found out a few days before Christmas that he was going to be deployed to Iraq. He didn't know when or how to tell her but he wanted to wait until after Christmas. The last thing he wanted to do was ruin their first Christmas as a married couple by telling her.

He smiled when he saw her stirring and ran his hand over her cheek gently, "Merry Christmas gorgeous." He said softly as she opened her eyes.

She moved over to him, resting her head on his pillow "Merry Christmas handsome." She said with a smile, kissing him softly.

He wrapped his arms around her tightly and kissed her a few more times, resting his forehead on hers. "Want me to make you breakfast?" He asked, kissing her nose.

"Can we just stay like this for a little longer? You're warm." She said with a laugh, cuddling against his chest.

"Of course." He said closing his eyes, dreading the news he was going to have to break to her soon.

They didn't have any major plans for Christmas besides spending time with each other and exchanging a few gifts. Since Elizabeth just graduated and hadn't started her job with the CIA yet, they were a little tight with money.

After a few more minutes Henry sat up, running his hand over her back "Breakfast will be ready in a little bit."

He moved from the bed and Elizabeth smirked at his bare butt showing. "Are you checking me out?" He asked, noticing she was staring.

She shrugged and sat up, holding the sheets against her body "You'll never know."

She watched as he got dressed and made his way out of the room, flopping back on the bed. She smiled up at the ceiling and shook her head. She was truly the happiest she had ever been in her life and it was all because of Henry. She felt like the luckiest girl in the world.

Elizabeth rolled out of bed and slid on a pair of Christmas pajamas, making her way downstairs. She smiled when she saw Henry at the stove making pancakes, "My favorite." She whispered in his ear as she wrapped her arms around him from behind. It was no secret that Elizabeth was a terrible cook so she was thankful that Henry was also good at that.

"I wouldn't make anything else for Christmas." He said as he placed the pancakes on plates, kissing her cheek quickly.

After they ate, Henry started the fireplace and sat down in front of it with Elizabeth. He wrapped his arm around her and rested his head against hers, closing his eyes. He felt bad not telling her that he was going to be deployed soon but she was so happy, he didn't want to ruin that.

Elizabeth turned to face him, resting her forehead on his "What?" She asked, looking into his eyes. She could sense something was bothering him.

He gave her a small smile and ran his hand over her back, "Nothing. I'm just happy." He said, leaning in to kiss her softly.

"Me too." She whispered against his lips, deepening the kiss.

He kissed her back with equal passion and pulled back after a few seconds, smiling at her "Want your present now?"

Elizabeth bit her lip gently and nodded, "Sure. Just let me get yours." She ran back to their bedroom and got the box that was hiding in her closet. She brought it back and sat down in Henry's lap, "You first." She said, handing him the box.

He unwrapped the gift and smiled when he saw a silver watch with their wedding date engraved on the back with the quote " _The day time stood still."_

"That was my dad's watch…he would have wanted you to have it." She said with watery eyes, "I had it cleaned and engraved to make it more personal."

"I love it." He said softly, kissing her fully on the lips. He knew that anything involving her parents was a tough subject so he was touched that she would give him something so personal to her.

She nodded and blinked back the tears that were threatening to fall. Henry was the only person outside of her brother that she ever opened to about her parents so she knew he would appreciate the gift. The holidays were always a hard time for her because it made her think of her parents more and how much she missed them.

He noticed that she was fighting back tears and he nuzzled his nose against hers, "Are you ok?"

She looked him in the eyes and shook her head, "I don't want to cry on Christmas."

Henry sighed and hugged her, running his hand over her hair gently. Elizabeth was the strongest person he had ever met and he knew that she hated to cry. She thought it made her seem weak even though he assured her it didn't.

She nuzzled her face against his neck and let a few tears fall before pulling herself together, "I'm sorry." She whispered, kissing the side of his neck gently.

"Baby there is no need to be sorry." He said, offering her a smile when she met his gaze again.

She smiled back and kissed his lips quickly, "Did I ever tell you how much I love you?"

He kissed her back and handed her the small gift box that was hiding behind his back, "Your turn…"

She accepted the box and opened it, "Oh Henry…it's beautiful." She said, holding up the silver necklace with a royal blue, pear shaped pendant on the end. "I love it. Thank you baby." She leaned in, kissing him a few more times.

"It reminded me of you and I just thought that when you wear it you could always think of us. Even if we're not together at that moment." He confessed, running his hand over her cheek.

She nodded and turned her body so she was facing him, "I'll wear it every day." She whispered, looking into his eyes. She kissed him fully on the lips, wrapping her arms around his neck. When she felt him deepening the kiss she smiled and pushed him back onto the floor gently.

"Can we spend the rest of the day like this?" She asked, smirking at him.

"I wouldn't have it any other way." He said, flipping them over quickly. He grabbed a blanket from the couch and threw it over their heads, causing Elizabeth to laugh loudly.

"You're crazy!" She squealed as he started kissing her all over.

Henry decided that he needed to enjoy this moment, it was going to be their last happy one for a while.

 _A/N: Hey guys! Here is my new story and I hope you guys enjoy. I got the inspiration from the season 1 finale when Elizabeth mentions to Henry that he went off to war when they were newlyweds. Let me know what you guys think by reviewing. I may switch this rating to M in the future but haven't decided yet._


	2. Confessions

**December 28, 1990**

Henry couldn't sleep. Keeping this secret from Elizabeth was eating him alive. They had never kept anything from each other but Henry had to keep this from her. At least until the holidays were over. He hated to see her sad and he knew this was going to destroy her. He looked over at her sleeping figure and sighed softly, being away from her for six months was going to be the hardest thing he ever experienced.

He smiled when she moved closer to him in her sleep, nuzzling her face against his chest. He wrapped his arms around her and rubbed her back, kissing her head softly. It had been so cold in their small apartment recently and she had been so clingy, trying to stay warm. He didn't mind though. She was super cute when she acted this way.

"I love you." He whispered even though she couldn't hear him.

Henry managed to get a few hours of sleep before waking up to the sun shining through the curtains. He groaned and rolled over to Elizabeth's side, opening his eyes when he noticed she wasn't there. He looked around the room confused for a second and hopped out of bed, slipping on a t-shirt quickly. He made his way to the kitchen and smiled widely when he saw Elizabeth attempting to make breakfast. She looked so confused and cute with her eyebrows crinkled that he couldn't help but chuckle.

Elizabeth's head shot up quickly when she heard Henry, her cheeks slightly pink "Did I wake you?"

"No." He shook his head, wrapping his arms around her from behind. "Need some help?"

She placed the pancake batter down and rested her head against his chest, "You know I thought this would be simple but apparently it's not." She said, moving in his arms to face him. She ran her hands over his sides and smiled, "I thought that since I was awake for once before you I would try and make you breakfast. Apparently that's not going to happen." She pouted, sticking her bottom lip out.

Henry kissed her gently and smiled, "That's ok. How about I take you out to breakfast instead?" He asked, moving to kiss her neck a few times softly.

Elizabeth sighed, his lips always felt so good against her skin, "How could I say no to you?"

"You can't…that's why you married me." He teased, patting her butt gently before heading back to the bedroom.

Elizabeth laughed and chased after him, jumping on his back as he entered the bedroom. After a few minutes they were both ready to go and made their way outside. Henry took Elizabeth's hand in his and led her down the street to the small café on base.

Elizabeth sighed and sat down at the table with him, slipping her jacket off. "I'm sorry that I went to bed without you last night. Will's call put me in a bad mood."

"What's going on?" He asked, reaching for her hand.

Elizabeth shrugged and squeezed his hand gently, "The usual…he's going on some mission trip and doesn't know when he'll be back." She said, running her free hand over her face "He doesn't know if he'll have time to stop by and see us before he leaves."

Henry nodded and leaned over to kiss her forehead, "He'll be okay. He's not the type of guy who's going to stay in one spot for a long period of time. I know you worry about him but I think that he's the happiest when he's helping others." This news couldn't have come at a worse time for Henry. First her brother was leaving and soon he was going to have to break the news that he was going to leave soon too.

She nodded and smiled at him, "You're right. I need to stop worrying about him all the time and just let him do what he wants to with his life."

Elizabeth ordered waffles when the waitress came and Henry ordered an omelette. She smiled at him and narrowed her eyes a little, "I've noticed you've been eating healthier and working out more. Isn't that something you should have done before the wedding?" She teased, sipping on her coffee. "But you look good." She said with a wink.

Henry laughed and shrugged, "Hey, as long as you think I look good then I'm happy." The truth was he had been getting in better shape for deployment. He hadn't been in his best shape recently and knew he was going to have to be if he was heading to war.

Henry thanked the waitress when the food came and cleared his throat, "Baby I have to talk to you about something when we get home."

"Ok." She said softly, sensing that something was off. If she was being honest, she had sensed that something had been off for a few days now but she couldn't figure out what it was.

After breakfast they made their way back to the apartment and Henry led Elizabeth to the living room, helping her out of her jacket. "What did you want to talk to me about?" She asked, not being able to wait any longer. It had been bothering her since he had mentioned it to her.

He led her over to the couch and looked down, running his hand over her cheek "I'm going to be deployed in about two weeks…" He confessed, "We knew this day would come and I know we didn't think it would be this soon but unfortunately we're at war and they need more pilots. I'll only be gone for six months which is less than most people."

Elizabeth bit her lip and nodded, she knew this day would come and she thought she would be prepared but she wasn't. Especially since they had just gotten married. She cleared her throat and looked away from him, trying to keep her tears at bay. The last thing she wanted was for him to feel bad because she was upset.

Henry squeezed her knee and leaned in to kiss her cheek gently. He could tell that she was holding her emotions in and appreciated that she was trying to be strong. He wrapped his arms around her and held onto her tightly when she threw her arms around him.

Once she felt his arms wrap around her she let her emotions go and cried against his chest. They had been together every day since they met and suddenly he was going to leave. This is what she signed up for when she decided to marry a marine but it didn't make it any easier.

Henry ran his hands over her back and kissed the top of her head gently, "I love you and I'm going to write you every day." He whispered, trying to soothe her.

After a few minutes she pulled back and looked at him. He wiped away her left over tears and smiled at her, "When I'm there all I'm going to be thinking about is my beautiful wife I get to come back to."

"Did you just find out you were going to be deployed?" She asked, wondering how long he had known for.

"I've known for about a week." He said, running his hand over his hair.

"A week?" She asked, raising her eyebrows at him "And you didn't tell me?" She sniffled, slightly annoyed.

"I just didn't want to upset you for the holidays." He said sincerely, running his hands over her arms.

She looked at him for a second and stood up, "So you lied to me?" She asked, crossing her arms.

"No…I…I just thought that it could wait a few days. Baby I really thought it was best to wait. Clearly that wasn't the right choice and I'm sorry."

"I just need some time to myself." She said as she made her way back to the bedroom, closing the door behind her. She sat down on the edge of the bed and placed her face in her hands, letting the tears flow once again. Her emotions were all over the place. She was annoyed at Henry for lying, sad that he was going to be away for six months, and angry that he was leaving so soon after their wedding. She didn't know what to think or feel and it was too much for her. She just needed space to sort out her emotions before reality sank in that she was actually going to be alone for six months.

Henry watched as she left and sighed, sitting back down on the couch. They needed to talk but he figured that she needed her space. She had a lot of information dropped on her today.

After about twenty minutes he went to their bedroom and knocked on the door, "Elizabeth?"

When he heard no response he opened the door slowly and sighed when he saw her organizing their dresser. Organizing and cleaning was something she did when she was stressed or upset. She had been this way since they met.

"Want help?" He asked, walking into the bedroom.

"Sure. You can match the socks." She said with a sniffle, not looking up from the clothes she was folding.

He nodded and moved over to where she had the socks lying, starting to place pairs together. He looked over at her, she was still upset and trying not to cry again. He placed the socks down and walked over to her, wrapping his arms around her from behind.

"Talk to me…" He said softly, resting his chin on her shoulder.

"My head is all over the place right now and I feel like I'm falling apart." She said, turning around to face him. "First Will told me he was leaving and probably wouldn't even be able to say goodbye then you told me you were leaving and decided to hide it from me."

"I really didn't mean to hurt you honey. I just didn't want Christmas to be all about me leaving." He said, pulling her closer to him.

"And I get that, I really do, I just…I don't want you to leave. I think I'm misplacing my anger on you when I'm actually angry about the situation. I knew that when I married you that this was what I was signing up for and I don't regret it for one second but I just wish that it wasn't this soon." She took a deep breath and kept her watery eyes on his, "I'm just going to be so alone. I barely have any friends here since we're new and Will isn't going to be around. I'm nervous about starting my job soon and you not being here in case something goes wrong with it." She sighed and pulled away from him, starting to put the clothes back in the dresser "I'm sorry. You're the one who is actually leaving and I'm being the needy wife who can't handle it."

"It's ok. I think your feelings and emotions are normal. It's going to be hard for me to leave you too. I want to be here for you and everything that is happening but I have faith that you will be ok." He moved over to where she was and grabbed her hands, holding them against his chest "You are the strongest person I know Elizabeth McCord and you will be able to get through whatever life throws at you while I'm gone. The six months will fly by, I promise."

She looked up at him and nodded, wrapping her arms around him tightly. She pressed her face against his neck and kissed his skin softly, "I love you."

"I love you too." He said, running his hand over her hair.

At the end of the day they both got ready for bed and climbed under the covers, staying as close to one another as possible. It had been a rough day for both of them and they just needed each other's comfort.

Elizabeth ran her hand over Henry's cheek and looked at him in the dark room, "You never told me where you're going."

"Iraq." He said, pulling her body closer to his.

She nodded and swallowed, nervous that he was going into the heart of the conflict.

He picked up on her nerves and kissed her forehead, "I'm going to be fine."

She closed her eyes and nodded, keeping her head pressed against his lips. She wished that his word was all she needed to know that he was safe but the reality was that she was going to be scared from the day he left until the day he comes home.

"We still have two weeks until I leave, baby. We'll do as much as we can together before then ok?" He could sense her sadness and fear and wanted nothing more than to comfort her. He was feeling the same things as her but knew that this was the life he chose. So he needed to try and get those feelings out of his head before he left.

Elizabeth offered him a small smile and nodded, "Sounds like a plan."

She leaned in to kiss him softly and he returned the kiss, running his hands over her back. He rolled on top of her and deepened the kiss, knowing that they both needed the reassurance and comfort that only they knew how to provide each other with. They made love slowly and tenderly, wanting to enjoy every moment they had together.

Once they were finished, Elizabeth laid on Henry's chest and drew small circles on his stomach. She was quiet, thinking about the six months of loneliness she was going to have to endure. Henry kept his arms around her protectively, wishing that he could make everything better for her.

She tried to keep her tears at bay, not wanting to make things more difficult for Henry but she was failing miserably. She let a tear slip down her cheek and closed her eyes, hoping that Henry didn't notice but he did. He always did. He just knew her so well. He tightened his grip on her and tilted her chin up, wiping her tear stained cheeks.

She looked at him with sad blue eyes and whispered, "I'm going to miss you."

"I'm going to miss you more." He whispered back.

 _A/N: Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Let me know what you thought by reviewing. The next chapter will focus on the day Henry is deployed. After that the story will focus on Elizabeth a lot more. Let me know your thoughts on that! Thanks for reading :)_


	3. Goodbye

**January 9, 1991 – The day before Henry's deployment**

Elizabeth walked into their bedroom and slammed the door, it was the day before Henry was set to be deployed and he had barely spent any time with her. He had been at the office all day getting everything settled before he left. She knew she was being irrational and that he had to follow orders but she couldn't help feeling hurt that she was getting pushed to the side. She sat on the edge of the bed and ran her hands over her face, sighing softly.

Henry walked towards the room and pushed the door open quickly, looking at Elizabeth "Are you really going to act like this the day before I leave?"

She shrugged and turned around, glaring at him "How am I acting Henry?"

He raised his eyebrows and crossed his arms, "I'm not really sure but I know that you're not acting like my wife. My wife wouldn't have ripped me a new one the second I got home over something I had no control over. I am sorry that I had to go to work this morning, you know I would have rather spent it with you. I am here now…we can do whatever you want. Just please don't be this way…" He pleaded, not wanting this to be the way they ended things before he left.

Elizabeth sighed and looked away from him, "I'm sorry." She whispered, knowing that he was right. She was just upset and angry that he was leaving tomorrow.

He walked over to her and knelt down in front of her, running his hands over her knees "Tomorrow is going to suck, we both know that, but I want to make the most of the time we have today. I'll cook us dinner and then you can choose what we do after that. How does that sound?" He asked, tilting her chin so she was looking at him.

She offered him a small smile and kissed his forehead, "Sounds like a plan."

He could sense her sadness and smirked at her before pushing her back on the bed. He started kissing all over her face and smiled when he heard her laugh. He just wanted to make her happy and forget about tomorrow for a little bit.

She took his cheeks in her hands and smiled up at him, kissing him softly. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer to her. She wanted to be as close to him as humanly possible. She ran her hand down his back and pulled away from his lips, running her hand over his hair.

"I want to do this all day." She said with a small chuckle.

"I'm ok with that but let's get some food in us first." He said as he kissed her neck quickly.

She nodded and got up, following him into the kitchen. She sat at the small table and watched as he moved around, "I might sign up for a few cooking lessons while you're gone because if not I'm going to starve."

He laughed and looked over at her, "That doesn't sound like a bad idea."

After dinner they settled on the couch, wrapped in each other's arms. She rested her head on his shoulder and ran her hand over his stomach slowly. "If you haven't realized this yet, I'm going to be attached to your hip until you leave." She teased.

"I don't mind that one bit." He said, leaning down to kiss her a few times gently.

He cleared his throat and sat up, "There is something we need to talk about and I don't think you're going to like it…" She looked at him and swallowed, nodding for him to continue.

"If something happens to me my will is in the safe in the closet…I had it updated after we were married."

She looked at him before looking away, feeling her eyes well up "You're right…I don't want to talk about that but thanks for letting me know."

He ran his hands over her shoulders and squeezed them gently. It was something that he did not want to discuss with her either but she needed to know. He was going into a danger zone and there was a chance he wouldn't make it back. He had to keep those fears to himself for the most part because she wouldn't be able to handle the next six months if he discussed them with her.

She kissed his cheek gently and got up from the couch, "I'll go get us some ice cream." He watched her walk into the kitchen and ran his hands over his face. She had been an emotional wreck ever since he told her he was leaving and he wished that he could protect her from this.

He walked into the kitchen and placed his hands on her hips from behind, rubbing them gently. Seeing her upset was always the worst feeling in the world for him. He could tell that she was trying not to cry and the anguish on her face destroyed him. She turned around and forced a smile, holding the bowl out to him. He denied it and wrapped his arms around her, bringing her against his chest. He kept one hand on her back and one on her head, whispering in her ear "I'm not going anywhere ok?"

She closed her eyes and swallowed the lump in her throat, resting her head against his chest "Ok."

After holding each other for a few seconds she pulled back and smiled at him, "I really did want ice cream though." She said, grabbing a bowl and heading back into the living room.

He grabbed one for himself and laughed, "I should have known…it's your second true love."

She sat on the couch and looked over at him, "Who said you're number one?" She teased, raising her eyebrows at him.

"I better be number one!" He smirked, eating his ice cream quickly.

She shrugged and finished her bowl, taking the spoon out of her mouth slowly "This ice cream was pretty good…I think you may have some competition on your hands."

"You think you're pretty funny don't you?" He asked, pushing her back against the couch.

She looked up at him and nodded, "I do actually." He smiled and kissed her cheek before moving to her lips. He ran his hands down her sides, pulling her closer to him.

She ran her hands over his back and stayed as close to him as physically possible. She sighed softly and reached for the bottom of his shirt, lifting it over his head quickly. "I love you." She whispered as she ran her hands over his toned chest and arms.

"I love you too." He said before moving his hands under her shirt as he started sucking on her neck slowly. She sighed softly and closed her eyes. If this was all they did until Henry left she would be fine with that. All she cared about was spending every last second with him.

Elizabeth pulled a blanket over them and reached around to grab Henry's bare ass, "You know, this is the first time we had sex on the couch…" She smirked, kissing his chest softly.

He laughed and wrapped his arm around her, kissing the top of her head "Which is shocking since we've had sex on every surface of this apartment."

She laughed and rested her head against his shoulder, running her hand over his stomach "And when you get back we're going to do it all over again."

Henry shook his head and rubbed his nose against hers, "You're crazy."

"But you love it." She said, pecking his lips quickly. She sat up and threw her shirt and underwear back on "We have to pack your bag and once we're done we can lock ourselves in the bedroom for the rest of the night." She said as she ruffled his hair.

He nodded and smiled at her, "Ok." He wanted to enjoy the rest of the night with her because he knew that tomorrow was going to be rough for both of them.

 **January 10, 1991 – Deployment Day**

Elizabeth had been awake since the sun started to rise. She knew that this was the last morning for a while that she was going to be able to wake up next to Henry and she wanted to enjoy it. He was so handsome and she was going to miss seeing him all the time. Ever since they had started dating they had been inseparable and she wasn't sure if she could adjust to life without Henry for a while. She rested her head against his chest and closed her eyes, listening to his heartbeat. It was the only thing that could soothe her right now.

A little while later she felt him stir and smiled at him as his eyes fluttered open, "Morning handsome." She said softly, leaning up to kiss him fully. She had made a pact with herself that she wasn't going to let Henry see her cry today. She didn't want him to feel even worse than he already did.

"Morning gorgeous." He whispered, kissing her back fully.

She rested her head against his chest again and wrapped her arms around him, "Thank god I packed everything last night because now we have more time to just do this."

He nodded and ran his hand over her back gently, drawing small circles "After the marathon we had last night I'm not sure I can handle getting up right away."

She laughed and looked up at him, "Well it needed to make up for the six months we're going to be missing and if you think last night was a lot, just wait until you get back." She winked at him.

He bit his lip and flipped her on her back, "I can't wait."

He rested his head against her bare chest and closed his eyes, just like she had done earlier. He needed her comfort and love right now. He hadn't discussed how leaving her was effecting him because he didn't want to upset her even more. She knew him too well though. He could tell by the way she looked at him sometimes that she understood.

Elizabeth ran her hands through his hair and down his back, placing small kisses to his head. She knew that he just wanted to be close to her and she would give him whatever he needed. After all, he was the one who was actually going to war. After 20 minutes of holding each other she looked over at the clock and sighed, "We have to get going." She informed him, patting his back.

They both made their way off the bed and started getting ready for the day. Elizabeth freshened up in the bathroom, just pulling her hair into a pony tail and no makeup. She figured she would be crying after Henry left so what was the point. Henry always told her he liked it better when she didn't wear makeup anyway. She threw on a Marine sweatshirt and jeans, smiling when she saw Henry in his uniform.

She walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his waist, "You know I remember a handsome grad student walking up to me and asking me on a date in a uniform very similar to this…"

"Anyone I know?" He asked, raising his eyebrows at her.

She shrugged and leaned up to kiss the corner of his mouth, "Maybe."

He laughed and moved his lips to hers, running his hands over her cheeks. She closed her eyes and pulled him against her deepening the kiss. She pulled back a few moments later and looked at him sadly, "We should go."

Elizabeth drove them to the base, holding onto his hand the whole ride. Once they arrived they stepped out of the car and moved closer to where the airplanes were lined up. Henry placed his bag down on the ground and wrapped his arms around Elizabeth quickly, pulling her flush against him.

She swallowed the lump that was forming in her throat and ran her hands through his hair, "Stay safe baby." She whispered, kissing his neck softly.

He nodded and closed his eyes, breathing in her scent "I'll write you every day and call when I can. You're going to do great things at the CIA and I can't wait to hear all about them when I get back. You're going to be ok without me." He reassured her, knowing that she needed it.

She nodded and pulled back, looking up at him "I love you Henry." She said, leaning in to kiss him fully.

"I love you more." He whispered back, pressing his lips on hers.

"Not possible." She mumbled, smirking against his lips.

After a few more minutes of kisses and saying their goodbyes, Henry pulled back and rested his forehead on hers "I have to go."

She nodded and got a few more kisses in before letting go of him. She watched as he grabbed his bag and she ran her hands over his arms, "I'll see you soon."

He nodded and smiled at her, "Six months will be here before you know it."

She nodded and watched as he started walking to the airplane, blowing him a kiss when he turned around. He smiled at her and turned back around, boarding the airplane.

She sighed as she watched him get on the plane and made her way back to the car. Once she got to the apartment she could feel Henry's presence already missing. This was going to be a long six months for her and she needed to figure out how she was going to deal with that. This tiny apartment suddenly seemed a lot smaller without him in it. She moved over to the couch and placed her head in her hands, finally letting out the emotions she had been holding in. She was lonely and afraid. The only person who could comfort her was Henry and he wasn't coming back anytime soon.

A/N: Sorry for the delay! Was having a bit of writers block while writing this. As usual let me know what you think by leaving a review. Thanks for reading! :)


	4. Advances

It had been one month since Henry had left and Elizabeth felt like she was finally settling into her life without Henry being there all the time. Of course she missed him and was counting down the days until he returned but she was finally able to come to terms that he was halfway across the world. The first week had been the worse but work had come as a pleasant distraction. She was starting to develop a great group of friends and co-workers which helped her when she was feeling lonely. She had received many letters from Henry like he had promised and she responded to each one. They had been able to talk on the phone about once a week which gave her something to look forward too.

Elizabeth paced the room, waiting for the phone to ring. It was the day that Henry was supposed to call and he was late which made her nervous.

She jumped when the phone finally rang and she ran over to it, picking it up quickly "Hello?"

"Well hello beautiful sorry I'm late." Henry said on the other side.

Elizabeth sighed and sat down on the edge of the bed, placing her head in her hand "You had me nervous."

"I figured but we just got back from our flight, how are you?"

"I'm good but I miss you baby." She said, looking at their wedding picture on the end table.

"I miss you too honey but hey, one month down only 5 to go." He said, trying to reassure her.

She smiled a little and nodded to herself, "You're right. Like you said it will be here before we know it."

Henry had just gotten back from an especially tough flight and really wanted to tell Elizabeth but he wasn't sure she could handle. He wasn't even sure he could handle it right now. He had been sent to bomb a town where one of their enemies was located and it was the first time Henry had realized that he had probably killed innocent civilians.

"Everything ok?" Elizabeth asked when the line went silent.

Yeah babe, doing anything fun tonight?" He asked, trying to change the topic.

Elizabeth knew that he was not ok but didn't want to push him, "Well since I have friends now, I'm going out." She informed him with a small laugh. "I think we're just going to grab some dinner and drinks. Nothing too crazy."

"Make sure you don't wear anything too sexy." He teased.

Elizabeth laughed, "Don't worry anything sexy that I own is reserved for when you get back."

"I can't wait." Henry said with a smile. He sighed and realized that it was late and he should probably try and get some sleep. "I have to go sweetie. It's late and I have a long day tomorrow. I'll write and call you next week."

Elizabeth looked down at the ground and ran a hand through her hair. As much as she looked forward to Henry calling her every week it was hard when he hung up. "Ok. I love you so much and I miss you. Be safe."

"I love you too honey." Henry said before hanging up.

Elizabeth bit her lip when he hung up and placed the phone down, swallowing the lump in her throat. She stood up quickly and went to the closet, trying to take her mind off missing Henry by trying to figure out an outfit for the night.

Elizabeth had decided on a simple black dress and heels to go out in. She felt that ever since she joined the CIA she was not able to get dressed up and tonight would be the perfect excuse to. She heard the doorbell ring and went to answer, smiling when she saw Isabelle.

"Hey! Just let me grab my purse."

Isabelle walked in the small apartment and smiled, "Cute place you got here."

Elizabeth smiled and walked back to her new friend, "Thanks. Henry and I decided to go smaller since it's just the two of us for now."

"For now? Planning on kids when he gets back?" Isabelle teased and walked outside.

Elizabeth locked up the apartment and laughed a little, "Well maybe not that soon but we would like to have kids sometime in the next couple of years."

Elizabeth sighed as she got into the taxi and looked out of the small window. This would be the first time that she would go out without Henry since before they started dating. A part of her felt guilty that she was having fun and he was in some foreign land, fighting for their country.

Isabelle could sense the mood change in Elizabeth and nudged her side, "Are you ok?"

Elizabeth snapped out of her thoughts and smiled slightly, "Yeah."

Isabelle didn't but it but she didn't want to push Elizabeth, "So my friend Craig Sterling who just started at the department of defense is meeting up with is. I think you'll like him."

"Sounds fun. I'm always up for meeting new people." She nodded, playing with her wedding band.

Elizabeth and Isabelle walked into the bar together, meeting up with their other friends Andrew, Juliette, and George. She walked over and hugged all of them individually, smiling when Juliette handed her a glass of wine.

"Wow, you already know me so well." Elizabeth teased, taking a sip.

Juliette laughed and shook her head, "I can tell just by looking at you that you're a wine girl."

Elizabeth laughed and smiled as Isabelle walked over with an unfamiliar man, "Elizabeth, this is my friend Craig."

"Nice to meet you Elizabeth." Craig said, shaking her hand. He stayed there for a longer time than was necessary and it was making her feel uncomfortable. She took her hand away and took a sip of wine, looking in the other direction. She was never one to be rude but this man was definitely pushing it.

After a few minutes of light chatter the group decided to find a table and order some dinner. Elizabeth sat down and sighed when she noticed who sat down next to her…Craig.

She looked down at the menu, trying not to pay attention to who was next to her. She continued talking with Juliette and sighed when she brought up Henry.

"I spoke to him today for a little and he seemed off. He brushed it off like he was fine but I could tell that he wasn't."

Juliette nodded and patted her back gently, "I'm sure he just doesn't want to worry you. He'll be back before you know it."

Elizabeth nodded and swallowed thickly, "That's what everyone is saying but time seems to be moving so slow."

"So who's Henry?" Craig asked, raising his eyebrow at Elizabeth.

"My husband." She said flatly, chugging what was left of her wine, not making eye contact with him. "Can I have another?" She asked as the waiter walked by.

"And he's not around?"

Elizabeth rolled her eyes and glared at him, "He's a marine and was deployed a month ago, so no, he's not around at the moment." She said bitterly, taking a sip of her fresh glass of wine. If she was going to sit there all night she was going to need a whole bottle…or two.

He leaned over into her ear and grabbed her knee, "Well if you ever get too lonely you can call me." He said with a wink.

Elizabeth shoved his hand off of her knee and stood up from the table quickly, grabbing her purse "I'm sorry guys but I'm not feeling too well...I'm going to head out. I'll see you all on Monday."

They all gave each other confused looks, watching as Elizabeth ran out of the restaurant. She flagged down a taxi and got in quickly, heading home. She handed the driver the money before running into her apartment, just wanting the comfort of home. She opened the door and slammed it behind her, making her way to the bedroom.

She could feel her breathing getting faster and tried to calm herself down as she changed into one of Henry's t-shirts. She couldn't believe what had happened tonight and all she wanted was Henry. She had no idea how she was going to live for 5 more months without him. She couldn't handle it anymore.

"I can't do this." She whispered to herself and made her way to Henry's desk, starting to write him a letter. She could barely get a sentence out before she rested her head in her hands, sobbing quietly.

 _A/N: I haven't forgotten about this story! As usual, life gets crazy and I have 0 time to write. I hope that I can update this more regularly and that everyone is still interested in reading. If you want to still read let me know by leaving a review! Since we never got the real history between Elizabeth and Sterling I decided to make my own… Also is anyone else missing Isabelle this season? Maybe they'll bring her back for season 3 since it was RENEWED! YAY!_

 _Hint for next chapter: There is a plane crash in the Middle East, does it involve Henry?_


	5. Waiting

_3 months later…_

All morning she had a bad feeling. A feeling that something had happened to Henry. She had never had this feeling before and it was making her crazy. She couldn't shake it. She just wanted him to call her so she knew he was alright. She walked into her office and sat down, hoping she had a call from someone with news about the war that would calm her. Nothing.

A few hours passed and she had immersed herself with as much work as she could. She just needed to get rid of this anxious feeling somehow and work was the only option.

Isabelle walked in and she smiled, "Hey what's up?" Elizabeth asked, her friend was always a welcome distraction while at work.

"Conrad needs to see you." Isabelle said flatly. She could tell by the tone of her boss' voice that whatever he needed to talk to Elizabeth about wasn't good.

"Oh?" Elizabeth raised an eyebrow.

"Look, I don't know anything he just asked me to get you."

Elizabeth nodded and walked down the hallway with Isabelle, looking at her as she stayed behind her. "He asked me to stay and wait for you too." Isabelle informed her, sitting down the bench outside of his office.

Now Elizabeth was really confused and anxious. Her boss wanted to see her and asked that her best friend wait for her. This couldn't be good. She walked into his office and smiled slightly, "Isabelle said you wanted to see me?"

"Sit down Elizabeth." He said, pointing to the chair.

She followed his orders and bit her lip, playing with the hem of her skirt nervously. She watched Conrad and tried to figure out his body language but had a hard time reading him. She was an analyst and yet she couldn't read her boss.

"There is really no easy way to say this but a fighter jet went down in Iraq and we have reason to believe that it may have been part of Henry's division. Now, I'm not saying that Henry was on board because we do not have confirmation of who was actually flying at that time but I wanted to tell you before you saw it elsewhere." Conrad said, reaching over to place a hand on Elizabeth's arm.

She nodded and swallowed the lump that was forming in her throat, trying to keep her tears at bay. "We-We're there any casualties?"

Conrad sighed and shook his head, "We're not sure. We just got the first report about it a half hour ago. I want you to go home because if Henry was involved then that is where someone will reach you at."

Elizabeth nodded and stood up quickly, "Thank you." She whispered before leaving his office and walking quickly to her own, forgetting that Isabelle was there.

Isabelle chased after her and watched as Elizabeth started packing quickly, "What's going on?"

"Henry might be hurt. I have to go home." Elizabeth said, wiping the tears that escaped her eyes quickly. "I'll call you later." She said as she ran out of the building. She knew that she wasn't in the best condition to drive herself but she needed to get home and fast. She knew what Conrad meant by they would need to reach her at home. It was the same thing every Marine wife dreaded, seeing the two men at your door that immediately meant you were a widow. What if he was dead? How would she go on?

She pulled up to the apartment and rested her head against the steering wheel, wishing this wasn't happening. Now she had the daunting task of trying to remain calm while she waited for news.

She paced the apartment all day, waiting for any news on her husband. She checked in with Isabelle every so often to see if new intel came in but again nothing more than what they knew this morning.

Suddenly, the phone rang and Elizabeth jumped, pressing her hand against her chest. She sat down on her bed and sucked in a breath of air before picking up the phone, "Hello?" She asked, hoping that it wasn't bad news.

"Hello beautiful." Henry said groggily, feeling the side effects of his anesthesia. He heard Elizabeth start crying on the other end and sighed, "Baby, its ok. I'm ok." He whispered, knowing that she must have heard something about the crash.

Elizabeth nodded and tried to calm herself down, "I'm just so happy that you're fine. My boss told me that there was a crash and that you might have been involved so I've been worrying all day."

Henry laid back against the pillows on the bed and closed his eyes, "Honey that was my plane that crashed. I was just lucky enough to make it out with minor injuries. Some people weren't so lucky."

Elizabeth ran a hand over her hair and took a deep breath, trying to collect her thoughts "So when you say minor injuries you mean just a couple bumps and bruises right?"

"Not exactly, I'm coming home tomorrow. They're giving me a medical leave because my injuries are going to prevent me from doing my full duties for some time." He explained, not wanting to go into full details about his injuries.

"So are you just not going to tell me what's wrong and I'll just see it all tomorrow?" She asked, slightly annoyed that he was hiding his actual injuries from her. "I would rather be prepared for when I see you."

He sighed and ran a hand over his face, not wanting to fight after the day he had and when he was still halfway across the world "I just have a few broken bones ok? Don't worry, just pick me up at the airport tomorrow night. I love you more than anything and can't wait to see you."

"Ok, I love you too. See you soon." She said, hanging up the phone.

She fell back on the bed and ran her hands over her face, trying to process everything that was happening. She wasn't expecting Henry back for another two months and now she was going to see him tomorrow. She was lucky though, apparently not everyone had made it out. She decided to call Isabelle and fill her in since she had left so abruptly.

Elizabeth waited at the air base as she awaited Henry's arrival. She was nervous that he was going to be majorly affected by this and was going to have a hard time coming to terms with having to leave earlier than expected. She took a deep breath as she watched his plane land, looking on as other Marine's started coming off one by one and being reunited with their loved ones.

Then she saw him, he was in a wheel chair being wheeled off the plane by another Marine. He had a large cast on his leg and a sling on his arm. It also looked like one of his eyes was black and blue. She started pushing through the crowd of people, running over to him and wrapping her arms around him gently. She smiled widely as she pulled back, resting her forehead on his. She kissed him softly and ran her fingers over his cheeks gently. At that moment it was just the two of them.

As the kiss broke Henry smiled and wiped the tears that slipped down her cheeks, "Miss me?" He teased, taking her hand in his.

Elizabeth laughed and kissed his forehead gently, "More than you'll ever know. Come on, let's get you home."

She moved to push his wheel chair and helped him into the car gently. When they got back to their apartment it was a bit of a struggle to get him into the apartment since he was so much bigger than Elizabeth and had to lean on her to get up the stairs.

"So is it just as you remembered?" She asked as she helped him into the apartment.

"Even better." He smiled back and leaned in to kiss her gently.

Truth was he wasn't happy that he was back before he was supposed to be. He was deployed for a reason and was unable to finish his duties which was one of the worst feelings for him. He could never let Elizabeth know that though. She was everything to him and being back with her was the greatest feeling in the world but something would always be missing.

She moved him to the couch and sat down next to him, running her hand over her back "Do you want to talk about it?"

Henry shook his head quickly and started to get up, "No, I'm really tired. We can talk in the morning."

She knew that was his way of brushing the topic off but she didn't want to push him too hard right now to talk. She watched as he struggled to try and walk on his own so she moved under his good arm, helping him get to their bedroom. She helped him get dressed and tucked him in before crawling in next to him.

She rested her head on his pillow and looked at him, running her hand over his face "I'm really happy that you're back but I feel guilty too. You're only back because you're hurt and I never want to see you like that." She whispered, her eyes shining with tears.

He looked over at her and pressed his forehead against hers, "I'm happy to be back with you. Don't feel guilty." He whispered, running his hand over the back of her head.

"It was just so hard without you." She said, letting her tears finally fall.

He nodded and stayed close to her, letting her cry "It was hard without you too."

 _A/N: Well surprise…Henry is already back! It's not going to be all sunshine and rainbows though ;) Hope you enjoyed this chapter and I hope to get the next one up ASAP. As usual, if you are enjoying please leave a review!_


	6. Communication

_4 weeks later…_

Elizabeth groaned as she woke up to what sounded like pots and pans banging in the kitchen. Henry had been insisting that he could do everything on his own and it was frustrating to Elizabeth. His leg had healed fairly quickly and he was down to just a brace around his knee accompanied by a walking boot. His elbow, on the other hand, had been shattered and would take a lot longer to heal. It had been a rough few weeks back for Henry and Elizabeth was doing her best to be there for him but it was tiring. He never spoke to her about what happened and he never showed any emotion, even after going to the funerals. They hadn't even had sex since he'd been back which was definitely out of the ordinary for them. They had gotten close but something had always stopped Henry. To say that this was not how she pictured their reunion going was an understatement.

Elizabeth threw the covers back and walked to the kitchen, smirking as she watched from the door "Babe, it's the weekend why don't we just go out for breakfast." She said as she watched Henry struggle with the pancake mix.

"I haven't made my famous pancakes since I've been back. I know you missed them." He smirked back, winking at her.

She smiled and nodded, "I did but I don't want you to kill yourself trying to make pancakes."

"Babe, I'm fine. I can make pancakes. Just go relax and they'll be done soon." He said, a hint of annoyance in his tone.

Elizabeth conceded and sighed, "Fine, I'll go get ready."

She made her way to the bedroom and slipped on a UVA sweatshirt and a pair of old jeans. She had no idea how much longer Henry was going to shut her out and she felt like she was going to explode soon. She knew that he had been through a lot but she couldn't tip toe around him for much longer.

She walked back into the kitchen and walked over to him, kissing his forehead "Thank you for breakfast." She said as she sat down across the table from him. She started eating and glanced over at him as he read the paper. She wanted to bring up what had been bothering her since he had returned but she was afraid of how he would react. She just felt like he was going to shut her out more than he already was.

"So I was thinking that since your leg is a bit better we could maybe go for a short walk? You haven't been outside in a while, I thought it would be nice to get some fresh air." She suggested, hoping that a walk could help them both clear their heads.

"Sure baby." He said as he glanced over the paper at her. He knew that he had been shutting out Elizabeth since he had gotten home and he had no idea why he was doing it. Ever since he had met her, Elizabeth had been the one person he felt comfortable talking to about anything. Maybe he just wasn't ready to talk about what happened, he was still processing a lot internally. The walk would be a good thing for both of them.

Once they had cleaned up, they made their way out of their apartment and to the park nearby. Elizabeth threaded her fingers with Henry's and looked over at him, "So is there anything you want to do now that your leg is better? Maybe we could go on a mini-vacation or something?"

Henry shook his head, "I'll probably start training again. If I can get full function back of my body then I'll be able to go back into action."

Elizabeth's jaw tightened at the mention of going back into action and she looked over at him, "Why don't we just go away for a weekend then, I think that a change of scenery would be good."

"I'm fine." Henry snapped and looked over at Elizabeth. She just nodded and continued on their walk, clearly Henry was not ready for any kind of conversation.

Henry sighed and pulled her into his side, kissing her head "I'm sorry baby. I'm just trying to work some things out in my head."

She looked up at him and sighed, "Henry you can talk to me."

"I know…I just…can't." He said truthfully, not ready to discuss the details of what happened with her.

"But you can decide to just go back to war without saying anything to me." She said, annoyed.

"Elizabeth, I'm a Marine. You knew what you signed up for when you met me."

She pulled away from him and swallowed thickly, "This was a bad idea." She said, starting to walk ahead of him.

He followed her back to their apartment and closed the door, not saying a word to each other the whole walk back.

"I'm going to lay down." Elizabeth said, not looking back at Henry.

Henry reached out to grab her arm gently, "Hey come on…"

"Henry you don't want to talk and I don't know what to do anymore. I can't…I can't keep pretending that we're ok, that I'm ok. You have shut me out ever since you have gotten back and I can't take it anymore." She said, running her hand over her face.

She felt tears well in her eyes and shook her head, "I don't know what to do to help you. I am so happy you're back but you're not the husband that left." She whispered, making her way to the bedroom. She wiped the tear that made its way down her face and grabbed a bag from their closet. She knew what she needed to do.

Henry watched as she went into the bedroom and just stared at the door. He knew she was right, he wasn't the same person who had left. The war had changed him. He knew that he would get back to that person but he needed some time.

He gave her a few minutes before walking into their bedroom slowly, his eyes widening when he saw her bag packed. "Woah, where are you going?" He asked with panic laced in his voice.

Elizabeth walked over to him and ran her hands up his chest, looking up at him "I love you Henry but you need space to think…" Henry went to protest but Elizabeth ran a hand over his cheek, "I know that you've seen things and that you're hurting which is also hurting me because I can't do anything to make the pain go away. I'm going to go the farm for a few days but I'll be back and we'll figure everything out."

Henry swallowed the lump in his throat as he looked at her nodding his head. As much as this hurt she was probably right. He was hurting her and he couldn't see it until now. He rested his head on hers and looked at her, whispering "I love you."

Elizabeth smiled a little and ran her hand over his cheek, "I know." She leaned up to kiss him softly before picking up her bag. "I'll see you in a few days."

* * *

As soon as Elizabeth got to the farm she dropped her bag and ran to the stables. She needed to see her horse. He was the only other thing that could comfort her besides Henry. She had called the care taker of the horses to tell her she was coming up and she could have off for the next couple of days. Being alone with her horse was exactly what she needed right now.

"Hi baby!" Elizabeth said happily as she reached Buttercup. The horse nuzzled against Elizabeth and she smiled, kissing the side of his head. "Let's go for a ride."

As Elizabeth was riding through the fields around the farm she felt free and all of her worries melted away. She knew she was going to be ok and so was Henry but they just needed space to clear their heads. As she headed back to the stables she hopped off of butter cup and ran her hand over his side, "Thanks for always being there for me."

Buttercup could tell something was wrong with Elizabeth, he always did. He stayed close to her and Elizabeth laughed, "Thanks buddy." She whispered, staying close to the horse "He's hurting and I don't know how to help him." She knew it was silly to most people that she would be talking to a horse but she grew up around them and they were always constant in her life. "I wish I could help him." She said softly, feeling the tears roll down her cheeks. She moved over the side of the stable and leaned against the wall, sobbing into her hands. Everything was building up and she finally exploded.

* * *

As Henry drove down the long road to the farm he couldn't stop thinking about what he was doing to Elizabeth. As soon as she walked out of the door he knew that he needed to follow her. He was afraid that if he didn't they would never be the same. It had been a month since he had been back and he didn't have the courage to tell her how he felt. Her leaving was what it took for him to realize just how bad he was hurting her.

He noticed that a light was on in the stable and smiled a little to himself, "Of course she would be with Buttercup."

He parked the car and stepped out, walking towards the stables. He could hear her quiet sobs and sighed to himself, god he was such a prick. He nuzzled Buttercup quickly before walking over to Elizabeth, sitting down in front of her.

Elizabeth was startled by a presence in front of her and blinked a few times when she realized it was Henry. She stared at him for a few seconds before breaking down again. She thought that taking a break for a few days would be a good thing but sitting alone in a stable with a horse reminded her too much of her life before Henry. It was lonely and devoid of love. Henry had changed all that when he swooped into her life one day.

Henry pressed his lips to her forehead before wrapping his good arm around her, "I'm sorry baby." He whispered, running his hand over her back.

Elizabeth calmed down a few minutes later and Henry pulled back to look at her, "Why don't we go inside and talk?" He suggested, getting back up slowly because of his leg and arm.

She nodded and stood up with him, cleaning up the stable quickly and getting Buttercup prepared for the night. She reached for Henry's hand and threaded her fingers with his as they walked into the house. "Before we talk, can I take a shower? I smell like horse." She said with a small laugh.

He smiled and nodded at her, "Of course. I'll meet you in the bedroom."

Henry watched as Elizabeth made her way to the bathroom and walked into the bedroom. Elizabeth had been left the farm house when her parents died and it had always been her safe space. Henry had always told her that once they retired they could move there since she always seemed happiest when she was there. He quickly got into a pair of pajamas and laid in bed, looking up at the ceiling as he waited for Elizabeth.

Elizabeth showered quickly and made her way to the bedroom, getting changed quickly into one of Henry's t-shirts. She hopped on the bed and sat cross-legged, looking at her husband.

She reached for his hand and stroked it gently, "We have to get everything out right now because if we don't I'm not sure what is going to happen when we get back to our normal lives. I'm glad that you came after me tonight because being alone reminded me just how much I need you with me no matter what we're going through." She swallowed thickly, trying to be strong.

Henry sighed and took her hands in his, kissing them gently "Baby, I love you so much and I was so happy when I saw you when I got home but I had a lot of unfinished business over there. There were things that I saw and was a part of that I don't want to discuss because I'm just not ready to talk about it yet. Being a Marine you always want to finish your job and I didn't get that chance." He looked down for a second before looking back at her, "And I feel guilty because I survived."

Elizabeth's eyes widened at his last confession and she moved to straddle his waist, taking his face in hers. "Henry please do not feel guilty about coming home. I know that some of your friends didn't make it out alive and I am so sorry for that but I could not survive without you. You saved me in so many ways and losing you would have destroyed me."

Henry looked down and nodded, feeling a tear roll down his cheek. He knew that she was right but he couldn't stop thinking about everyone who did not make it out. Some who were only 19.

Elizabeth wiped his tears and wrapped her arms around him, holding him against her chest "Its ok Henry." She was happy that he was finally opening up to her but now was fully aware of how much he was hurting.

Henry nuzzled his face against her chest and finally let go of all of the emotions he had been holding in for the past month. As he sobbed against her he gripped her shirt, holding onto her tightly. She was the only one he would break down in front of and he was glad that he had someone who was always there for him.

As she felt his body wracked with sobs, Elizabeth held him tighter. She could feel her own eyes well with tears, not wanting to see her husband like this but she knew it was her turn to be the strong one. She whispered calming words in his ear, hoping that she could comfort him in some way. When she felt his sobs subside she pulled back and kissed his forehead gently.

Henry wiped his cheeks and leaned up to kiss her softly, running his hand over her back as she pressed her forehead to his "Thank you."

She looked at him and ran her fingers through his hair, "I'm always here for you."

Henry looked at her for a few seconds before leaning up to press his lips against hers again. Elizabeth reciprocated the kiss, missing their intimacy over the last month. Henry deepened the kiss, sliding his tongue over hers gently. Elizabeth groaned into the kiss and kept him as close to her as she could.

Elizabeth pulled back and looked down at him, breathing heavily "I missed you."

Henry nodded and lifted her shirt over her head, tossing it to the side "I missed you too."

He attached his lips to her neck and started making his way down her body. Elizabeth closed her eyes and let herself fall victim to his touch.

After a night of making up for lost time, Henry laid his head against Elizabeth's chest as they were both clearly spent. She ran her hands over his hair, looking up at the ceiling. She moved her hands down his back slowly and smiled, "I missed that more than I thought." She said with a small chuckle.

Henry laughed and leaned over her body to look down at her, "Even with a bad leg and shattered elbow I think I still have it."

"You definitely still have it." She said, looking up at him lovingly. She leaned up to peck his lips softly and kept her eyes glued to his, "We're going to be ok right?" She asked, suddenly feeling unsure about where they stood.

He smiled at her and nodded, "We're going to be better than before."

 _A/N: As usual, I am sorry that this took so long to update. I finally have a bit of free time! Hope you all enjoyed this chapter and there are probably a couple left in this story. Please review if you are still reading!_


	7. The End

_Epilogue_

 _5 years later…_

Elizabeth flopped back on the bed, looking over at Henry "She's finally asleep."

Henry laughed a little and placed his book down, rolling closer to Elizabeth "So does that mean what I think it means?" He asked, starting to kiss her neck gently.

Elizabeth sighed and sat up, "No, I'm tired and smell like baby vomit."

"Your point?" Henry asked, raising an eyebrow.

Elizabeth threw a pillow at him and stood up, making her way to the bathroom "I need a bath." She was in no mood for sex tonight.

Henry watched as she made her way into the bathroom and laughed a little. He couldn't believe how much his life had changed in the past 5 years. After one more tour he was officially retired from the Marine's and was almost finished with his PhD. He and Elizabeth had decided to start a family and found a nice farm house in Virginia. Starting a family was the best decision he had ever made in his life and he knew that the moment Stevie came into his world. She was only 3 months old but had her own little personality and had both of them on their toes at all time.

Elizabeth smirked when she saw Henry looking up at the ceiling and jumped on him, straddling his waist "Earth to Henry?"

Henry laughed and looked up at her, sitting up so he was face to face with her "Hi."

"Hi." She smiled and kissed him softly.

She nuzzled her face against his neck and closed her eyes, "What were you thinking about?" She asked, running her hand over the back of his neck.

"You, me, and Stevie…Pretty much how lucky I am to have the perfect family and life right now." He confessed, smiling at her.

She pulled back and smiled down at him, resting her forehead against his "You know I was thinking about your proposition in the bathroom and had a change of heart…"

"Oh?" He asked, raising his eyebrows at her.

"Mhmmm…" She giggled, and leaned down to press her lips against his. Even though she had not been in the mood for sex recently, she had definitely missed that level of intimacy with Henry.

Henry flipped them over quickly and pulled back to look at Elizabeth, "Thank you for giving me everything I've ever wanted in life."

She smiled up at him and ran her hands over his cheeks gently, And thank you for always loving me."

He leaned down to attach his lips to her neck, making his way down her body. No matter how many times he told her, Elizabeth would never know how much Henry truly loved her.

* * *

"So I was definitely in the mood for sex tonight." Elizabeth laughed and placed her head against Henry's chest as she tried to catch her breath.

Henry laughed and snaked his arm under her, leaning down to kiss her a few times gently. He rested his head on hers and closed his eyes, spent from their love making. He looked at her after a few seconds and smiled, "You're so beautiful baby." He would never get over how lucky he was to have her.

She ran her hand over his chest and smiled, pecking his lips gently "And you're the most handsome man I've ever laid eyes on." She kissed him again, this time more passionately.

He smirked against her lips, "Round 2?"

Before she could answer they heard a soft cry coming from the nursery. She sighed and pulled back, kissing his cheek gently, "There's your answer."

She pulled a t-shirt on quickly and made her way down to the nursery, picking up a crying Stevie. "It's ok sweet girl, mommy is here." She whispered, walking around with the little girl in her arms." Once she had calmed down she walked back into the bedroom and smiled at Henry. "I think someone missed daddy." She said as she placed Stevie into his arms.

"Of course she did. She's daddy's little girl." He said, placing the baby against his knees.

Elizabeth crawled back into bed and rested her head on Henry's shoulder, watching him and Stevie interact. She had Henry wrapped around her little finger since the day she was born. She smiled and closed her eyes.

No matter what they had gone through or what they would go through in the future, she knew that Henry would always be by her side no matter what.

 _A/N: I feel like I always start by apologizing but I am so sorry this took forever to finish! Thank you everyone who has been reviewing and following this story. I wanted to leave you all with a short chapter to close it out. Please review if you have enjoyed reading this and I hope to have a new story up sometime this week :)_


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